New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to attend Monday’s Gaza Peace Summit.
The summit, to be co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and President El-Sisi, will be held in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. It will bring together around 20 top global leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, the Indian Prime Minister will not be travelling to Egypt for the high-level summit. Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh will represent India at the summit, Times Now reported citing the Ministry of External Affairs.
The summit seeks to consolidate the recently agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and establish a framework for long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.
“The summit aims to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the region, and usher in a new phase of security,” the Egyptian President said in a statement, adding that the meeting reflects President Trump’s broader vision of achieving peace and ending global conflicts.
The ceasefire deal came into effect on Friday following days of intense negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, mediated by the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
The first phase of the plan includes Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Younis, and the north, opening of five crossings for aid, and the release of hostages and prisoners.
Though a top Hamas official said that the release of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza will begin on Monday morning, the peace process still faces hurdles, reported AFP.
Hamas has said it will boycott the official signing of the peace deal, as it disagrees with certain key elements of Trump’s plan, including disarmament demands. Hamas leaders have also dismissed proposals to relocate Palestinians from Gaza as ‘absurd,’ which point to complexities ahead.
The two-year conflict was triggered by Hamas’ sudden attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to heavy casualties on both sides, more so in Gaza.
Israel has agreed to release 250 prisoners and 1,700 detained Gazans in exchange for the release of 47 Israeli hostages held by Hamas.